


before the end of the world

by xylene



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, some death but very minor and it was just me projecting about my nans passing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23585314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylene/pseuds/xylene
Summary: What if Lance and Keith met before Volron takes place? Lance finds Keith buried deep in the desert after sneaking out of the Garrison and a friendship kindles.
Relationships: Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 66





	before the end of the world

**Author's Note:**

> I hate Voltron, this show disappointed me on so many levels but this is the longest fic I've ever written from like 4 years ago? Jesus. I'm getting rid of it. I'm really bitter over it because I was so passionate about writing it. This was going to be So much longer, like a whole ass story with chapters but my love for Voltron died in season 5. And then more when I kept seeing just how shittily they treated their characters and audience and just. plot.
> 
> This story will be disjointed, but I can't be bothered to fix that and I still like the idea of Keith and Lance meeting before Voltron took place so I'm still uploading it. 
> 
> It should be noted this was from 4 years ago and my writing has improved greatly. There are definitely some parts that make my skin crawl. I don't like how I handled their first encounter-it was sloppily done and left many loose ends untied.
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy and if you do still get some joy out of Voltron good for you.

It was a month or so after Keith Kogane, Lance's rival, was kicked out of the Galaxy Garrison. Ever since, Lance had felt something in his chest, but he refused to acknowledge it, to think about it. He forgot it by ignoring it, by being flirtatious with girls, and by insisting that no, Keith was his rival not his crush; Hunk and Pidge said that he was head over heels for Keith, but Lance knew they were wrong. It wasn't that Lance hated having feelings for a boy- no way is that true- it was just that... Well, it's Keith. Keith Kogane, the fighter pilot. Keith Kogane, the gifted child. Keith Kogane, the guy with girls swooning over him. Keith Kogane, the boy who was Shirogane's favourite pilot. Keith Kogane, the lone wolf who carved his own pathway in life and didn't even give a damn about his grades. Keith Kogane... 

Lance rubbed his eyes harshly, getting up from his bed. He grabbed his phone, pulled on some jeans and shoes to occupy his large, blue sweater, and looked over at his roommate. Hunk was still sleeping, obviously, because it was just past eleven in the night, and who wasn't sleeping at that time? Well, Lance sure as hell wasn't. And Pidge probably wasn't either. Maybe he could find Pidge, he was normally awake at this time. Always on his laptop coding or some other techy-shit Lance wasn't smart enough to make sense of. Cautiously, he cracked open his door, skimming for any personnel guarding the halls. There wasn't. Quietly, he closed the door behind him with a small click, and he tiptoed down to Pidge's dorm room a few doors down. He kept to the walls, knowing the floors wouldn't creak there. Honestly, he nearly shit himself when he heard a scraping noise, only to realise it was the zip of his jacket against the wall he was sticking to. He laughed, self-deprecatingly. 

When he got to his friend's dorm, he brought out his phone and texted Pidge, knowing that was the only way he'd actually hear him and reply. In hindsight, he probably should have texted him earlier to see if he was actually going to sneak out with him. Oh well. 

> Lance: Hola Pidgeot u sneaking out tonight? 

> Pidge: sorry lance. ive got work to do, maybe another night? 

> Lance: Aw man okay then, see you in the sim tomorrow. And good luck with whatever ur doing 

> Pidge: don't get caught. and thanks. ill see you and hunk tomorrow 

Lance huffed, slapping a hand over his mouth when he realised how loud that was. Anxious, he whipped his head around, only to see another student out of their dorm. She snuck out a lot, too. Lance was safe. He smirked over at her, but instead of shooting finger guns like he normally would, he just put a finger over his lips. She returned the gesture. No matter how many times they bumped into each other in the night, they never went the same way, which was strange because Lance only knew of one way of getting out the Garrison with no one knowing. He shook his head and carried on. 

By the time he'd left the building and was hidden away in the desert's howling and large rocks, he realised how lonely it was. It was dark, and from out there he could see the bright moon that he used to chase when he was a kid in the family's car. He smiled at the memory. The moon always beat him. The stars were bright, cluttering the night's sky beautifully. It always amazed him at just how many stars he could see with his naked eye. Back in Florida, where he had moved from Cuba as a kid, barely any stars could be seen with all of the lights and pollution. In a few days, there was going to be a meteor shower. Although he could see much cooler things in the Garrison's observatory, he was always going to be a sucker for those meteors flying through space. He, Hunk and occasionally Pidge would sneak out and see them. It's always been traditon for Hunk and Lance, since they were life-long friends, so when Pidge came along they let him hop on the bandwagon. 

One day, he's going to touch a meteor. They've been to the moon as a school trip one day, but a lot of people have been to the moon. One day, his mama always told him, he's going to go further than Pluto, than Kerberos. He's going to change the world with a discovery. Lance was only sixteen right now, but he knew that outer space was going to be good to him. 

Lance walked, and walked, and walked. He went deeper into the desert than he and his friends ever had before. Something- someone- was bothering him. The school told him that Keith was kicked out because of discipline issues, which honestly the boy did have. But Keith had always been like that. The Garrison kept him because Kogane was an excellent pilot. So. So why did they suddenly drop him? Lance didn't even see a family, or anyone, come to take Keith home. Hell, his roommate said Keith barely packed anything, just a knife, clothes and a few pictures, of himself and Shirogane. And this box of something only Kogane knew the contents of. What did that kid actually do to get thrown out so suddenly? 

...Why the hell was he so concerned about this? This wasn't his problem.

He tried to shake the feeling off, return to just roam around the desert for a while longer. It didn't work out. 

Lance thought back to a month ago, to when the announcement that Keith Kogane had been expelled from the Galaxy Garrison was made during one of his classes. That was the day the feeling in his chest formed and made a home in his heart. Well, it was more like a parasite. It was constricting, like he was going to throw up and cry all at once. It only happened when he thought about Keith or thought he saw the pilot, or looked at the empty seat in front of him. (Oh, it's so obviously a crush, he hears you say! He refused to believe it though). He remembered putting his hand up, his other clutching his stomach, and asking to go to the bathroom. He remembered the worried looks that his classmates shot him. They murmured:

'Were they friends?'  
'I thought they were rivals... Does he feel bad?'  
'I'm surprised he isn't cheering'  
'That isn't very... Lance.' 

Iverson had allowed him to leave after some reluctance. Honestly, it was probably just because he didn't want vomit in the classroom. Lance thanked him (only a little bit grateful) and stumbled his way to the bathroom. There, he almost wretched twice, and rubbed tears away harshly. He blamed it all on an illness; the nausea, the feeling in his chest, the miserable mood, being unable to really concentrate, everything.

He did not have a crush on Keith Kogane. 

He did not miss Keith Kogane.

He was ill. 

That was it. 

When he had gotten back to the class, they were all head down, scribbling away at there books. Silent. Iverson was just leaving, but before he did, he placed a hand on Lance's shoulder. He noticed then that the commander had a large bruise on his jaw. He saluted, and Iverson left without a second glance. Lance sat back down and got on with his work. He didn't speak another word that day. 

Lance found himself a little ways away from a shack. It was small with a front porch and an aerial protruding from the roof. Vaguely, he could see a smaller building directly attatched to the shack, with... something red and big beside it. He couldn't see it in this light and at this angle. The windows were quite big, covered by curtains or some other sort of fabric. There was a rocking chair on the porch that swayed in the slight breeze. Then, he stopped in his tracks, breath hitching as his heart skipped a beat. 

A figure. 

The person was staring right at him, he could see in the light of the shack. Lance froze. He knew that stupid mullet. 

"Keith? Keith Kogane?" He called it out as a question but he knew the answer. Keith stared at him with wide eyes. His heart raced. 

"Who are you?" Keith asked, cocking his head to the side. That shocked him. Lance's heart sank. Keith didn't know who he was? Maybe it was just too dark and he couldn't quite recognise him. 

"Uh, the name's Lance," he answered, only slightly offended. Keith narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. He had a deep grey blanket around his shoulders and wore a red hoodie, black sweatpants and sneakers. It was strange seeing him in casual clothes. He still looked confused. Lance noticed the blade in his hand. As if instinctively, he showed his hands, empty. 

"I si- sat behind you in Piloting 101," he offered. 

"Oh yeah, I know you. Aren't you a, uh, cargo pilot?" He asked, blushing and holstering his knife. 

"Not anymore. Thanks to you, I'm a fighter pilot," he said proudly, moving his hands to rest on his hips. Lance felt himself walking closer to Keith, but stopped a few feet away, still weary of the blade in Keith's belt. 

"Oh. Well, congratulations? You're welcome? What are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be sleeping? Y'know back at the Garrison?" Keith said. He sounded bitter at the word 'Garrison'. Lance wondered just how much Keith hated that school. The boy had his arms crossed loosely across his chest, looking down at the ground. 

"Oh please, I know you used to sneak out, too. And honestly, shouldn't you be answering that question? Why are you alone in the desert?" Lance asked, a softer look on his face. He didn't know Keith all too much, but he did know that the boy acted like a lone wolf, but was actually just alone. There's a difference, his abeulo once told him that. Keith looked up, his face guarded. 

"I- uh..." He faltered. Suddenly, he looked very interested in the sand. "That's none of your business."  
Lance was about to protest, but then settled for walking closer to Keith, a mischievous grin on his face. 

"Well, Keithy-boy, it's your lucky day because I am going to keep you company in this isolating desert," he declared, jabbing his thumb at his puffed out chest. 

"What?" he deadpanned. 

"What, is your mullet blocking your ears? I'm gonna stay with you tonight," Lance said, already walking to Keith's shack. "Man, have you lived here ever since you got booted? Do you even have a shower?" 

Keith's face looked down right offended, brows furrowed and mouth gaping slightly. He watched in silence, following shortly behind, as Lance waltzed into his (hopefully) temporary home. "Of course there's a shower, you ass. And what mullet?" 

Lance shot him a look, eyebrows raised and head titled forward as if to say like you don't know. Keith scoffed, and touched his hair self-consciously. Lance frowned slightly, so much for trying to lighten the mood. 

He looked around the small room, there was an old couch with a metal framing. In front of that was a square table with a fruit bowl and notebooks. The legs were made of cinder blocks. In the corner, there were shelves with what looked like an ancient VCR, and other old machines beside it. On the wall, on his right, was a large corkboard, with papers and strings strewn all over it. There was a door next to it, leading to the tiniest bathroom Lance has ever seen. He frowned. How can anyone live like this? 

Glancing over at Keith, he saw that the boy was curling into himself defensively and self-consciously. He looked... ashamed. Like he was scared of being judged. 

"Don't you have anywhere else to go?" Lance asked sadly. Keith didn't look up.  
"No. Why do you care? You barely even know me," he muttered.  
"I know that nobody deserves to live like this, in a desert on their own. Your table is held up with cinderblocks, you don't even have a bed, man!" 

"It shouldn't matter to you!" He yelled, fists clenched by his sides. His brows were furrowed, head tilted towards the ground at Lance's feet. "This has nothing to do with you, if it bothers you so much then leave! I don't want your pity just because I don't have another home or a family like you!" he was quieter now, his voice only trembling slightly. "I've been living just fine here, I'd rather this than a shitty foster home, okay?" He crossed his arms, looking away. "What right do you have to just come here and judge me? You're the one who's still in that shitty school."

Lance deflated. He really hadn't meant to make Keith mad.  
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I. Shit, I'm sorry. I just- I think it's really shitty that a guy like you is so alone out here. I mean, you're Keith Kogane-" 

"Why does that matter? So what if I am who I am, why does that make me different?"

"Because you're amazing," he stated, then quickly corrected: "I-I-I mean! You were just really good at piloting back at the Garrison and I saw yo- I know people looked up to you as their role model and I just thought that... that someone like you didn't deserve this," he said quickly. "And I get that you're okay with this, but I don't think you should be because you should be in space discovering new planets and galaxies." Keith started wide eyed at Lance, but he didn't seem to notice: he was looking at the stone ground. He was silent for a while, but eventually walked to the door and said: "I'm sorry. I'll leave."

Keith almost didn't say anything, his words lodged in his throat. He tugged on Lance's jacket sleeve before he could open the door. Confused, the boy looked at him with a quirked brow. Keith huffed, not one for emotional stuff, or anything like that, and dragged Lance away from the door. He left to sit on the couch, placing his blanket over the back of it. Lance fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

"You, uh, you want me to stay?" Lance asked, begging for some clarification on what was happening in Keith's head right now. 

Keith nodded. 

"I am sorry, you get that right?" the brunet said. 

Keith nodded again, his head somewhere else. Lance wondered if Keith knew how much people looked up to him back at the Garrison. He was always... distant. The only person he saw Keith talking to was Shirogane, but then... The former fighter pilot never paid much attention to the praise Iverson gave him. Lance used to hate him for that: it was like Keith never even cared about learning or good grades. After what just happened, Lance had a vague idea on why. But he can ask about that another time, if Keith will let that happen anyway. 

Smiling, Lance flopped on the couch next to Keith, crossing his legs and facing the boy. 

"So, what do you do for fun out here?" Lance asked in a loud, happy voice, trying to break the tension that was as big as this shack. At first Keith stared at him with incredulity, as if he was disbelieving of the fact that Lance just dismissed their argument entirely. However, he looked Lance in the eye, those gorgeous ocean blue eyes, and saw the most earnest, compassionate look he'd ever seen from anyone other than Shiro, and relaxed into his look of indifference. 

"I mean, I mainly just ride my hovercycle, to be honest," he shrugged, picking stray threads from his sweatpants.  
Lance sat right the hell up. This kid had a hoverbike!? 

"You have a hoverbike!?" he exclaimed. His face was almost comical, eyes bulging out the sockets and mouth wide enough to hit the floor. Keith smirked at him. 

"Yeah."

"Can I see it!?" he was still shouting. Keith let out a short huff of a laugh, and nodded. Standing up, Keith rolled his eyes and lead Lance to his bike, while aforementioned smiled giddily. The red vehicle leaned against the strong wall beside the shack. Keith smiled proudly as Lance gaped at his bike, practically bouncing around it as he inspected every part of it. Lance didn't really understand a lot of machinery or spacecraft stuff (that was Hunk and Pidge's job), but he did know that this bike is one that doesn't exactly... exist. Yes, hovercycles do exist and they have for a while now, but they're so expensive and only come in two styles by two different manufacturers (he knew that from his brother, Mateo, who is obsessed with them). However, this bike isn't like those. It was crimson red with white, scratched stripes traveling along the sides of the bike and around the high tech propellers. On both sides, further to the back of the bike, was the number '01', also in white paint that was chipped slightly. The vehicle itself was long and narrow, unlike the other makes. Also, the lights on this were a emerald green instead of blue. But, like the other hovercycles, there were small wings on the back. 

Lance thought it was pretty damn cool. 

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you- where did you get this?" Lance asked, as he rounded back to Keith.  
"I built it," he stated, almost cocky with his tone. Somehow Lance's eyebrows shot to his hairline; Keith almost laughed.  
"You built this!? How!?" he shouted, with a voice so high- pitched it could crack the cycle's windshield screen. 

"With Shiro before he..." Keith's pride quickly dissipated, and Lance frowned. Keith cleared his throat. "My dad was a mechanic, I learned most of it from him. S-Shiro and I found the parts and built it together. The propellers we stole from the Garrison. We were scared we would get caught or they would notice, but now it's kind of a 'fuck you' to them."

"That's so cool!" Lance beamed, choosing to leave the other details alone for Keith's sake. "Can you take me for a ride on it?" 

Keith nodded, tucking a tendril of hair behind his ear. Lance grinned as Keith hopped on the bike and gestured for Lance to get on too. Happily, the brunet jumped on behind him. As Keith leaned forward, he revved up the engine which definitely did not make Lance squeal in surprise what are you talking about. 

"You ready?" 

Lance held tighter. 

"H-Hell yeah!" Lance stuttered, but if you asked him, he definitely did not stutter. 

It was thrilling, adrenaline consumed Lance's body. Keith took sharp turns around cacti strewn around the desert. The loud rumble of the engine filled his ears, feeling the bike vibrate under his body. It was warm with his body as close to Keith as he was, and he knew there was a blush on his cheeks, but it's not like anyone else knew. He... he could imagine Keith's life, being on this bike. The way he imagined it, Keith's life was spontaneous and exhilarating and... run on spite. The last part, Lance ignored for now. Honestly, he shouldn't be assuming stuff about this boy's life, as he knew nothing about it truthfully. However, he couldn't really help himself. 

Lance didn't know how much time had passed, but he found himself a few miles from the Garrison. 

"H- Why are we here?" Lance stuttered, confused as Keith looked over his shoulder at him. 

"It's half five, Lance. You have to be up at six for drills, unless they've changed the whole schedule that they set in place for years after I left," he said, showing the watch on his wrist. It was silver with a white leather strap. Digital, it displayed the time, date and day on a celeste blue screen that lit up the side of Keith's face. Lance frowned. 

"Yeah. Right," he agreed, disappointed. He corrected himself and hopped of the bike with a spring in his step. "So! Today was... awesome!"

Keith shocked for a second before relaxing into a small smirk, smug as hell. "I'm glad." His hands clasped together and pressed forward on the seat of his bike in between his legs. 

"Uh..." Lance didn't know what to say. Goodbye? He hated goodbyes. Those sucked. And... he didn't want to just... never see Keith again. I mean, this is Keith Kogane! I can't just forget about him in the puto desert! "Can- can we do this again?" 

Keith pondered it for a moment. Lance's heart raced and he began to regret saying anything.

"Sure."

Lance?" Hunk's raspy deep voiced called out into the dark dorm room. "What're you doing?" 

It was midnight, and Lance couldn't sleep. Not with his abuelita still on his mind. He had thrown on a large, grey sweater with a dusty rose, floral pattern on a chest pocket. He just slipped on some sweatpants and sneakers and grabbed his dorm key as instinct. After tossing and turning, he'd decided he wanted to see Keith. Hunk looked up at him worriedly. Starting to get out of bed, Hunk grabbed Lance's wrist before he could leave the room. "Hey, where're you going? It's midnight."

"For a walk," he stated simply. His voice and face was guarded, deadpan. Hunk didn't like that look on him one bit. Lance noticed. He sighed. "Look, don't worry. I'll be back by morning, just like every other day. I just- I need space... and fresh air."

Hunk's brows were still furrowed with concern, his eyes softer than usual, lips pursed. "Okay..." He replied, voice quiet. Before Lance could leave, however, Hunk pulled him into a warm, bear hug. The brunet felt his eyes water, his chest constrict. Tightly, he clutched Hunk's yellow sleep shirt, buring his head into his chest. 

"Be careful, yeah?" Hunk mumbled into Lance's hair. "Don't get pricked by a cactus or something."

Lance laughed wetly. "Yeah okay, big man."

>Lance: Hey, come pick me up?

>Keith: yeah, ill be there in a few

>Keith: Don't get your ass caught

>Lance: Dont worry i wont, mulletman

When Keith pulled up beside Lance on his hoverbike, he smiled and patted the seat behind him. Lance clambered on without a word, just a short nod. He didn't see it, but Keith frowned worriedly, brows furrowing. Something felt different today. Something Keith didn't like. Normally, Lance would greet him with a 'Sup, Mulletman' or, if he was quicker than normal getting here, a 'Wow, eager to see me? Well, I don't blame you, I would be too' and a trademark smirk. Today; nothing. Not even a smile. 

Shoving these thoughts back for a moment, Keith revved the engine, which made Lance flinch a little and tighten his hold on Keith, and drove back to his shack. The ride there was quiet. Ususally, Lance would let out a few squeaks in fear, or shout in excitement when they sped up. Keith tried that, speeding up and making quick, dangerous turns around a few cacti and hills. It didn't work; instead, Lance poked Keith's side to tell him to slow down. He did. Shortly after that, Lance rested his chin on Keith's shoulder and let out a sigh. He could feel the puff of air against his neck and it rose goosebumps over his skin, the hair on his arms standing up. 

When Keith parked his bike around the side of his shack, Lance hopped off it and Keith followed him worriedly. The brunet flopped on the bed. Keith stood in front of the table, arms loosely crossed over his chest. He studied Lance nervously. The boy was curled into himself atop the grey-plaid sheets, his knees up to his chest. Something was wrong. He was so uncharacteristically quiet. Was it something he did? Was it something Iverson did? Iverson did have a tendency to crush Lance's self-esteem after all. Maybe it was-

"Sorry," Lance said suddenly. It sounded so loud in the deafening silence, but it was barely a murmer. Keith's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Lance's face. His eyes glistened, red-rimmed. Why hadn't he noticed that before? "I've been really off, haven't I?"

The raven-haired frowned, and made his way around the table to sit beside Lance, crossing his legs as he faced him. "What's wrong?" He asked. 

"I- um. My... my abuelita. She, uh, she died- this morning," he sniffled. A tear slid down his cheek and Keith resisted the urge to wipe it away. He didn't know what to do. Keith had no family to lose, or friends to comfort, so he was pretty inexpierenced in this situation. Yeah, he's watched movies and shows with a character in his place, but this is real life. Some things work for different people, and some of the things they put in those scripts are pretty dumb. 

"I... Were you two close?" When it came out of his mouth, it sounded dumb. Of course they were close! Everyone in Lance's family were close! God, Keith, you idiot. But when he looked at Lance, he was smiling. 

"Yeah," he said fondly. "She was always there for me. Y'know, you'd think someone as old as she was, and someone from where she grew up would be... not open-minded. Homophobic. But when I came out, she was the first to hug me. She grinned, this shit eating grin and exclaimed 'Ese es mi chico! Ve a buscar unos pitos'. Which means 'that's my boy, go get some dick'. She, uh, she wasn't like anyone from her family. My tia, my ma's sister is gay, so my abuelita learned that being gay or whatever it is, isn't bad. Hell, she even said that when she was younger she thought her best friend was really cute."

Keith didn't want to stop him from talking because Lance looked so damn happy and it was so much better than a sad, quiet Lance. So instead, he swung his legs around to prop on top of the coffee-stained table and leaned his shoulder against Lance's. That way, Lance knew Keith was there for comfort, but wasn't crossing any lines he didn't want to at that moment. That was something he learned from Lance. 

"When I was off sick from school, my ma and dad were at work, so my abuelita would always take me to her house. My abuelo died when I was four, so she's lived alone since. Her house always smelled musty. Y'know like an old antique store? And there were old, patchy teddies in her window sills that her kids left. She's just- she's always been there for me, and my sisters and brothers, of course. She was there for everyone, even when her husband died. Other people were a higher priority to her than herself."

So that's where he gets it from, Keith thought briefly. At this point, Lance's head was rested on Keith shoulder, and Keith took the opportunity to card his fingers through the soft brown locks. Lance noticibly relaxed into Keith's touch, and the raven-haired smiled as listened to the boy's calm voice. 

"I think what hurts the most is that she'll never be able to see me and my siblings get married. My oldest brother, Marco, got married a few years ago, and she was so happy. His wife is pregnant, due in a few weeks. She'll never meet her great-grandma. I just- I miss her. So much. She was so happy when I got into the Garrison, y'know? It sucks that she won't be there when I graduate or if I actually get to go to space."

"Sorry," he said after a pause, lifting his head to look at Keith, who's fingers slid down to curl around the back of his neck, thumb rubbing small circles. "I went on for a long time, didn't I?"

He wore a sheepish smile, a few stray tears accumulated on his chin and jaw. Keith gave in, wiping the moisture from Lance's face and shook his head.

"Nah, you're okay. Just gotta let it out sometimes, I guess," He said, because this he knew about. This, he knew what it was like to be Lance. This, he had felt. Unfortunately, no one had been there to comfort him. Lance had a whole family and friends. By now, Keith had learned to deal with that, so, while he was envious, he was just glad that Lance, this beautiful, wonderful boy had all of the support in the world. "She sounds like a good person."

"She is- was," he faltered. Suddenly, a frown etched on his face and Keith's heart sank. "She was a good person."

They sat there for a few minutes in silence. 

"Hey, uh," Keith started, scratching the back of his neck and lifting the hair up at the back. "Wanna go for a joy ride? Without the whole stealing thing, of course."

"Only if we can get takeout in the city," Lance replied, grinning from his place on Keith's shoulder. Keith wasn't blushing, nope, definitely not totally enamoured by this boy cuddling him. God, he's so screwed, isn't he?

This is where Lance, midst recouting the day to Hunk and Pidge back at the Garrison, would say:

"And this begins the story of how Keith and Lance adopted a cat.

But we'll get to that later."

The ride was how Keith described it, a joy ride. The second the engine rumbled to life, Lance grinned, and Keith could feel it on his neck where Lance buried his face. Soon, they were zooming down the highway (with no helmets so Keith guessed that was a crime for the joy ride), with Lance whooping and laughing as Keith sped up. There were barely any cars at this time, save the occasional driver either sleep deprived or driving far away from their problems, or both. The moon, Lance had noticed, was full and shining brighter than ever. 

The stars, however, Keith observed sadly, were sparse. Things like this were reasons he disliked cities. Stars were always a constant for him, as stupid and as poetically dumb as it sounds. But Keith had had a hard time latching to the one thing that kept him sane with all of the changes in his life. When his dad disappeared, before he was taken in by the Garrison, Keith stayed in a grand total of five foster homes. His 'discipline issues', as every family and Iverson had said, were untreatable and caused him to be kicked out again and again. For some time, for four years or so, he had Shiro. Takashi, as a surrogate older brother, was a constant; Keith had some grip, some control on his life. And when Shiro had said he was going to Kerberos, as bitter and sad as Keith had been because he wasn't going to see Shiro for months, he was happy that his sort-of brother was living his dreams. He couldn't not be proud of his friend when his eyes had lit up when he spoke, and the way he so elatedly rambled about being on a mission with Matthew Holt and his legend of a dad Samuel Holt. Then, Shiro disappeared too, and Keith wondered, shouting on the Garrison rooftop:

"Why? Why does everyone I care about disappear?"

And the next day, Keith had been kicked out for those 'discipline issues', but he didn't give a shit. He just wanted Shiro back. 

So in the desert, Keith sought out some kind of hope, some kind of familiarity. 

Stars, he'd thought. 

That was where Shiro was, after all. That was the very night sky he had looked at through his dad's telescope back at that very shack he lived in. Stars, Keith decided, were his constant, his hope, his wishes. And they would be until the day he found Shiro, or the day he died. 

"-eith. Keith!" Lance shouted. "Buddy, you missed a turn."

Keith blinked.

"Oh." He stopped, and slowly he turned away from the local 24/7 store he was near. Suddenly, Lance gasped and prodded Keith's shoulder repeatedly. 

"What?" He asked, pulling to the side of the road. There were no cars nearby, but still, Keith wasn't an asshole. And suddenly, Lance was hopping off the bike and crouching behind the store, making kissy noises and rubbing his index and thumb together. "What the f- Lance?"

The raven-haired quickly joined him, but Lance shushed him and gestured for him to come closer. He did so, quietly this time. A black cat cautiously walked closer to Lance. The alley was dark, but there was one flickering streetlight on the corner, so Keith could see the green eyes. There was no collar on this cat and for a second Keith thought 'what the fuck do we do', but then Lance managed to scoop the kitty up in his arms while shushing it gently.

"How in the fuc-"

"No swearing in front of the child!" Lance whisper-shouted, covering the stray's ear. Only one ear because the other was torn, half of it remaining. Keith would be lying if he said that didn't make his heart squeeze painfully. Said ear had dry blood and matted fur around and on it.

"Shit. Is there a veterinary around here?" He asked Lance, but focused on the cat. Nervously, he placed a hand on the animal's back. It flinched, but when Keith began stroking it, it seemed to relax. He smiled, and if Lance didn't think that was the cutest thing in the world, what was?

"Uhm," he cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, grab my phone? Back pocket."

That made Keith blush, but for a second Lance wasn't sure why until he realised his phone was in his butt pocket and Keith would have to touch his butt to grab the phone. While it did bring colour to his cheeks too, Lance shrugged it off: there were more pressing matters and it wasn't like Lance had never accidentally grazed Keith's ass so... no biggie. 

After Keith had retrieved said phone, he unlocked it with the code Lance had given him. So, Lance trusted Keith with his phone? Nice to know they had crossed that boundary. With a bit of struggle finding his way through the mess of apps on Lance's phone, he found Maps and searched the vetrinary name that Lance told him. They weren't sure how to transport a cat to the place on Keith's hoverbike, so they walked. On the way, Keith brought up the problem that they would have to somehow drive back. 

"Hey, maybe we could buy a baby carrier and put the cat in there," Lance replied jokily, but then added on: "It's probably the easiest way. Besides, it'd be funny to see you carrying a cat around like a mother."

~~~

Over the next few weeks, Lance found himself visiting Keith almost everyday. One day, he was tempted to bring Hunk and Pidge along with him, but for one, Lance was selfish and wanted to be with Keith alone. And, two, Lance was selfless: he didn't want Keith to be uncomfortable and have the life in the desert he wasn't proud of to be revealed to more people from his old school. In these weeks, Lance hadn't pried into Keith's life. He knew there was something between him and Shirogane, and that he was mad at the Garrison (especially Iverson). However, one time he accidentally brought up Shiro in conversation and Keith went silent. He was careful with what he said after that. Lance did, however, talk about his life. To fill the surprisingly-not-uncomfortable silences, Lance rambled about his family and ambitions. Keith always listened with a soft smile. Sometimes, he did fall asleep, but Lance understood. His abuelo would talk for as long as Lance did, and Lance would feel himself nodding off. Besides, Keith was cute when he slept. Most people are, that's just a given. Nevertheless, it was hard to be upset with someone as adorable as that. 

Keith, Lance figured over the past few months, is a touch-starved, cuddly person. He could tell by the way he was reluctant to hug and be touched at first, but soon relaxed into it. He could tell by the way he was finally able to initiate a goodbye hug. He could tell by the way he was nuzzled against Lance's side. With Lance's large, navy blue hoodie devouring him, Keith lay between the back of the couch and Lance. It was a cold night, more so than the others. 

Lance was freezing even in his jacket and warm sweatpants, but Keith was like a radiator right now. Shivering, he cuddled closer to the boy fast asleep next to him, burying his nose in soft black hair. A thicker blanket was draped over them, the one Lance had managed to smuggle out into the desert from his dorm. One of the raven-haired's arms was draped lazily over Lance's chest, as the other was squished between their bodies. The brunet, forever a cuddly boy, held his friend tight in his arms, long fingers of his right hand smoothing down messy hair. Dios, Lance didn't know a feeling better than this.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Again it's disjointed I know! Apologies. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!


End file.
